Prince George Christmas tradition returns as giant tree hoisted 9 storeys high

A Christmas tradition has returned to Prince George, B.C., and it involves lifting an 18-metre tall tree onto the roof of a nine-storey hotel. 

For 30 years, the Salvation Army would hoist a large tree onto the roof of the Coast hotel in downtown Prince George, and slowly light it up as it received donations for its Christmas 'Tree of Lights' fundraiser.

But it discontinued the program in 2017 due to a combination of costs and logistics, instead turning its attention to the Christmas Kettle program.

Now, the United Way of Northern B.C. has stepped in to revive the Tree of Lights, and on Wednesday a small crowd of people gathered downtown to watch a crane lift the tree onto the hotel's roof, 33 metres in the air.

Trista Spencer, interim executive director of the United Way of Northern B.C., said much of her team grew up in Prince George, and were excited by the chance to bring back a piece of their childhood.

"All of us remember it as this magical, community thing," she said. "It was kind of like an icon."

The person in charge of actually getting the tree to the roof was Butch Doherty, who works in the hotel's maintenance department and has overseen the project almost every year since it began.

Doherty said he had mixed feelings when he was told the tree would be returning; excitement because it's such a big community tradition, and some trepidation because of the work involved.

"Once it's on the roof... it takes five people five days to put all the lights on," he said.

"It's 1,000 lights... It's close to the edge, a ladder's involved... and it's cold," he said with a laugh. "Sometimes you look over the edge and you realize it's quite a ways."

The tree was provided by Warmac Ventures, a Prince George-based logging and trucking company. Ted McAfee drove it over 60 kilometres of logging road and 100 kilometres of highway to get it downtown.

"Most people gave us the thumbs up," he said of the drivers who passed him on the road. "I should have had a sign on the front that said 'Merry Christmas.'"

McAfee said he looked forward to bringing his grandchildren and great-grandchildren downtown to see the tree as it was lit up, which is exactly what Spencer said the United Way hoped to accomplish by reviving the tradition.

"I always imagine myself going back to that place as a child, where you have that little bit of sense of wonder around the holidays and what it actually means," she said. 

The campaign officially kicks off on November 24, with a goal of $25,000 that will go toward mental health programs in the community.

To hear more from the people who got the tree to the roof, click the 'play' button below.

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